50lb Goal Weight Loss Help

alexxazt · December 2017

I am at 180lbs, 5’6”, female, 20 years old and my goal weight would be around 130-145lbs.
I have lost and gained weight for about 4 years and it’s frustrating. I am now at my highest at 180lbs.
I am not a newbie at lifting or exercising, and I am not a newbie to nutrition.

But here’s the thing, I have been OBSESSED with researching, googling, YouTubing on how to lose weight, what’s the best approach, what’s myth and fact, vegan? Paleo? IIFYM? Intuitive eating?
Plant Based people say meat causes cancer and calories don’t matter at all, so eat all you want, paleo people say Legumes are the plague.
And then I would go on Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube spending hours watching people’s transformation stories and how they did it and what the suggest.
I’ve tracked calories and macros before but it’s sooo hard for me to mentally get back into it, as I dislike logging in myfitnesspal.
If I rreeeeeaaaalllllyyyyy HAVE to track calories and macros again, I’ll consider doing it.
It’s getting annoying and I wanted to ask you guys here because you are the only people who I know don’t give BS answers who try to sell something in the process.

So here is my question.
How do you lose weight and be healthy?

Is it really just:
Caloric Deficit + Whole Foods?

Is it fine to be in a caloric Deficit and eat mainly fruits, vegetables, some protein, Legumes, grains, fats, and an occasional chocolate as long as within calories?
Do I have to do the whole:
You have to eat a lot of protein, otherwise you’ll shrivel up.
You have to lift weights, otherwise you’ll look skinny fat.

Can I just cycle(bicycle) 2-3x a week and do HIIT body weight circuits 2-3x a week?

I guess overall, does this work and is this effective for losing 50lbs in 5-6 months:

Eat Whole Foods (fruits, vegetables, Legumes, grains, fats, and some protein w/ occasional treats)
Caloric Deficit
Cycle 2-3x/Week
HIIT body weight strength 2-3x/Week

Any advice to help me get out this obsession in researching for the best diet or more effective way would be awesome!
I’d really love to stop spending all my time watching and reading about how to lose weight and actually do meaningful things. Thanks!!

Nony_Mouse · December 2017

alexxazt wrote: »

I am at 180lbs, 5’6”, female, 20 years old and my goal weight would be around 130-145lbs.
I have lost and gained weight for about 4 years and it’s frustrating. I am now at my highest at 180lbs.
I am not a newbie at lifting or exercising, and I am not a newbie to nutrition.

But here’s the thing, I have been OBSESSED with researching, googling, YouTubing on how to lose weight, what’s the best approach, what’s myth and fact, vegan? Paleo? IIFYM? Intuitive eating?
Plant Based people say meat causes cancer and calories don’t matter at all, so eat all you want, paleo people say Legumes are the plague.
And then I would go on Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube spending hours watching people’s transformation stories and how they did it and what the suggest.
I’ve tracked calories and macros before but it’s sooo hard for me to mentally get back into it, as I dislike logging in myfitnesspal.
It’s getting annoying and I wanted to ask you guys here because you are the only people who I know don’t give BS answers who try to sell something in the process.

So here is my question.
How do you lose weight and be healthy?

Is it really just:
Caloric Deficit + Whole Foods?

Is it fine to be in a caloric Deficit and eat mainly fruits, vegetables, some protein, Legumes, grains, fats, and an occasional chocolate as long as within calories?
Do I have to do the whole:
You have to eat a lot of protein, otherwise you’ll shrivel up.
You have to lift weights, otherwise you’ll look skinny fat.

Can I just cycle(bicycle) 2-3x a week and do HIIT body weight circuits 2-3x a week?

I guess overall, does this work and is this effective for losing 50lbs in 5-6 months:

Eat Whole Foods (fruits, vegetables, Legumes, grains, fats, and some protein)
Caloric Deficit
Cycle 2-3x/Week
HIIT body weight strength 2-3x/Week

Any advice to help me get out this obsession in researching for the best diet or more effective way would be awesome!
I’d really love to stop spending all my time watching and reading about how to lose weight and actually do meaningful things. Thanks!!

Yes (and you can chuck in the treats so long as you're at a calorie deficit), but I think your goal of losing 50lbs in 5-6 months is overly aggressive. Set MFP to lose 1 lb per week, eat the calories it gives you, plus 50-75% of any exercise calories. Use a trending weight app (Happy Scale for Android, Libra for iPhone, or Trendweight web-based connected to a Fitbit account (you don't need a Fitbit, just the account)), assess your weight loss after 6-8 weeks. If you're losing more than 1 lb per week average, increase your calorie intake, if you're losing less, decrease it.

SteamPug · December 2017

You don’t have to log with MFP and if we’re talking about only weight loss you don’t even need to eat healthy. If you’re sure you’re accurate with counting and take time to weigh your foods, there’s nothing wrong with counting in your head. The only downside is you can’t track numbers over time. I personally find MFP way too fiddly (and idk I guess I’m lazy) but the best way to reliably lose weight is to eat at a deficit, so I count in my head and stop when I’ve reached my limit. Otherwise I don’t bother with any specific diet. If you wanna be healthy that’s fine - but there’s no one good diet for weight loss, it really is as simple as eating less calories than you expend.

theabsentmindednurse · December 2017

Wow. No wonder you are confused.
You DO NOT have to follow any specific diet plan to lose weight!
You can eat what you are eating now.
ONLY LESS OF IT.
MFP is Successful because it works.
It is a tool that you can use to log what you eat.
TEDIOUS. Yes.
NECESSARY. Absolutely!

It is absolutely necessary you count your calories to know how much energy you ingest in a day.
You DO need to accurately weigh and measure all your food and liquids.

Eat whatever you want. Obviously if you eat junk food all day your body won’t function as well, as if you fed it healthier fuel.

Just take small steps.
Log in your information accurately in the MFP app and go from there.

Take advantage of the Stickies and just START.
That is all you have to do.

All the best.

kommodevaran · December 2017

To lose weight, you need to be in a sustained calorie deficit.
You don't need a special diet or any particular foods. No foods are off-limits.
You just have to eat less.
Less in this context, means fewer calories than you burn.
For health, you need enough of a range of nutrients every day, and not too much of anything over time.
The easiest way to achieve this, is a diet made up of a variety of real, whole foods from all the food groups, combined into meals that you find appealing and tasty.

You don't have to count calories. Counting calories doesn't make you lose weight, it keeps track of your food intake, and can create awareness. It also has to be done properly to work as intended. But if you hit your calorie goal, consistently, for real, and for a long time, you lose weight.

You don't have to exercise to lose weight. But moderate excersice is good for your mental and physical health. The most effective exercise, is the one you actually do. Exercise you like, is more likely to be done.

To lose 50 pounds in 6 months is most likely unrealistic and/or unhealthy at your weight.

A plan you enjoy, instead of dread, will most likely eliminate the urgency of weight loss, as well as the rebound eating that leads to regain.

jemhh · December 2017

You're not going to lose 50 lbs in 6 months at your stats. It will likely take 12-15ish months since you are aiming at getting down to about the midpoint of healthy weight range.

Eat a well rounded diet and fewer calories than it takes to maintain. Resistance exercise and sufficient protein will help you maintain muscle mass. Many people find that maintaining muscle mass is the key to getting the look they want.

Rickster1967 · December 2017

Having goals is a great way to motivate yourself

SMART goal setting is even better:

Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Realistic
Timeframe

Your goal meets all these except the realistic timeframe. 50lbs in 6 months from where you are is not really doable.

I suggest you set a goal for each of 5 week, 10 week, 20 week, 30 week and 50 weeks. Once you start making progress the goals will motivate. Maybe go 7lbs in 5 weeks, 12 in 10, 18 in 20, 26 in 30, 40 in 50...

That is reasonable, achievable, realistic. Remember as you get closer to target you'll be dropping more slowly

jemhh · December 2017

Rickster1967 wrote: »

Having goals is a great way to motivate yourself

SMART goal setting is even better:

Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Realistic
Timeframe

Your goal meets all these except the realistic timeframe. 50lbs in 6 months from where you are is not really doable.

I suggest you set a goal for each of 5 week, 10 week, 20 week, 30 week and 50 weeks. Once you start making progress the goals will motivate. Maybe go 7lbs in 5 weeks, 12 in 10, 18 in 20, 26 in 30, 40 in 50...

That is reasonable, achievable, realistic. Remember as you get closer to target you'll be dropping more slowly

I caution against arbitrary time-based short term goals. Weight loss is not linear. Expecting it to be sets you up for frustration. Count how many days you stay at your calorie goal or how many vegetables you eat or how many workouts you do if you insist on a number based goal.

The idea behind a SMART goal is that progress toward it is measurable, not that the goal itself has to be a number.

displaced1 · December 2017

Assuming you’re relatively healthy, just calorie deficit should help you lose weight. However you go about it is up to you. A lot of diets exist that may or may not appeal to you. I use what is helpful for me. I like Whole Foods and mostly vegetarian, but others love low carb high fat. I use DASH guidelines to remind me to eat varieties of foods, others may find it too restrictive. Some people eat subway everyday, or cabbage soup, or whatever. If you track your calories and stay at a deficit, you’ll lose weight.

NextRightThing714 · December 2017

Yes. Your plan will work but only because of your caloric deficit. It's been noted already but just to reinforce, you shouldn't try to lose 50 pounds in 5 months. You're setting yourself up for frustration, crashing, falling off the wagon, rinse-wash-repeat. 25 pounds in that time frame may be more manageable but there is generally no need for a time-based goal. You've got to do this forever anyway, right? So what's the rush? Good luck.

ETA: spelling.

DmaMfz · December 2017

I was exactly like you. I remember thinking I had to go back on Atkins and dreading the idea I would have to cut out everything I loved and asking if it was worth it.

I came here and read everything. It was like I was given a second lease on life.

No food are off limits. I eat 350-500 cals below my TDEE, that’s it. Period. If you want to work out, great. But since you’re asking how to lose weight, just eat below your TDEE. But as a woman, eating back some exercise or activity calories is pretty great. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, don’t over complicate it. Be consistent and you’ll reach your goal weight and enjoy eat new mini goal on the way.

alexxazt · December 2017

Thank you all so much!
There’s really sooo much information out there and I think I just got overwhelmed over what was real and what was marketing.
And yes, 25lbs in 5 months seems better.

Thank you!!

brittneyalley · December 2017

Your goal should be 1lb/week and then once in the normal BMI range it should be .5/week. Even 25 pounds may be too ambiguous (to lose in 5 months).

Goober1142 · December 2017

I might add that if you eat the same foods all the time it's easy to track the calories on paper once you figure out how many are in there.

Evamutt · December 2017

I'm down 48 lbs just by eating within my calories & adjusting how I eat. I also eat back about 75% of exercise calories. I don't exercise a lot, I am active however. I don't have a fitbit or similar device

AnvilHead · December 2017

alexxazt wrote: »

Thank you all so much!
There’s really sooo much information out there and I think I just got overwhelmed over what was real and what was marketing.
And yes, 25lbs in 5 months seems better.

Thank you!!

About 99.9% of it is marketing. Because you can't sell books, "supplements" and exercise plans by just telling people to eat a reasonable diet at a reasonable calorie deficit, stick to it and have some patience. Which is truly all it takes.

The health/nutrition/weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar fraud machine. There are a few good, reliable information sources out there, but most of it is pseudoscientific BS and marketing hype designed to separate you from your money.

50lb Goal Weight Loss Help

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